Before we cover the signs of cheating, a warning is necessary. If you start looking for signs of a cheating spouse or lover, you are likely to see them everywhere. He stays a little late at work and you are suddenly suspicious. She starts dressing differently and you wonder if you should follow her. The moment you get in the mind set of looking for clues, you'll probably find more than enough, even with the most faithful man or woman.

This suspiciousness alone can do damage to a relationship as surely as an affair. Be careful using this material. Have a good reason to use it. It is important to know if your significant other is cheating on you. But it is also important not to destroy the trust that a good relationship is built on. With that in mind, here are five signs of a cheating spouse or lover.

1. Your Intuition.

To even have to ask the question of whether your significant other is cheating on you indicates that something is wrong. Your intuition is telling you something, but is it that he or she is cheating, or just that there is something wrong in the relationship?

2. Your Mutual Friends Act Strange

If your mutual friends start acting strange around you, like they are uncomfortable, it could be that they know of an affair your significant other is having. Even if they don't know, they perhaps are being told terrible things about you by your lover or spouse, in an attempt at justifying an affair.

3. Her Overtime Isn't Paid

If she suddenly is getting a lot of overtime at work, but her paycheck seems the same, there is reason for suspicion. You might want to just show up at her place of employment on one of those late nights, to see if she is there. If not, wait at home and later ask casually about how late she stayed at work, to see if she lies.

4. He Has New Odors

If a man leaves the house smelling like his favorite shampoo, and then returns that night smelling like a different brand, it is suspicious. Women's noses are generally more sensitive to these things, but a man might also notice if his wife or girlfriend comes home smelling like she just took a shower. Unless she goes to the gym, why would she have taken a shower? You might have to ask.

5. She Uses An Implied Defense

Suppose you ask your wife or girlfriend if she went anywhere after work, and rather than answer directly, she says, "You know I like to come straight home." This implies a "no" while subtly announcing that she'll take further inquiry as an attack. Sometimes, when people don't feel comfortable lying outright, they use and "implied defense." See if you can get a more direct answer, and note how much she squirms as you try. Difficulty with these kinds of questions can be one of the earliest signs of cheating (people get better at lying with practice).